Binaural stethoscope.



No, 738,852. I PATENTED SEPT. a, 1903.

w. J. PENFOLD.

BINAURAL STBTHOSGOPB. APPLICATION FILED M1345. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? y w @Z JM UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

BINAURAL STETHOSCOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,352, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

To all whom, it 'nuty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JAMES PEN- FQLD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Benwell, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binaural Stethoscopes, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improvement in binaural stethoscopes whereby the operation is facilitated and whereby the earpieces may be automatically held to the ears; and with these and other objects in View the invention consists in a binaural stethoscope constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. 7

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a binaural stethoscope provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a similar view of a part of the stethoscope and showing the parts in a difierent position; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modification.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown a binaural stethoscope comprising two rigid and curved tubes a, which are provided with the usual earpieces a at one end and at the opposite end with flexible tubes a with which the usual breastpiece or body-piece b is connected, and in the practice of my invention I connect with each of the tubes a near the end of the earpieces a a clamp or band 0, and at equal distances from the clamps or bands 0 and near the opposite ends of said tubes are placed other clamps or hands d, having handle-pieces 01 The clamps or bands 0 are provided on their inner sides with grooves or spaces 0 and the clamps or bands at with corresponding grooves or spaces (1 and placed in these grooves or spaces and free to slide therein at one side is a flat spring 6, the ends of which are provided with knobs or shoulders 6 For the purpose Serial No. 149.430. (No model.)

of this description one end of the spring a is designated by the reference character 6 and the other by the reference character a, and. in practice one end, preferably the end a is.

secured in the clamps or bands 0 and 01, through which it passes, and the other end of said spring is free to slide in the opposite clamps or bands 0 and d. Normally the spring 6 is ring-shaped or in the contracted position, as shown in Fig. 1, and whenever it is desired to use this device the handles (1 are grasped and the separate sides or tubes a are pulled outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and the earpieces a are placed at the ears, and the spring (2 at once contracts and automatically holds the earpieces in position. When the earpieces are removed from the ears, the free end 6 of the spring e coils up, as shown in Fig. 1, and in this operation it passes entirely around and forms a ring, as shown in Fig. 1, and in this operation the free end of said spring may pass through the grooves or spaces 01 or adjacent thereto,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, and in practice it will be understood that both ends of said spring are always held in said clamps or bands, while at least one end is free to slide through the clamps or bands at one side of the device or so as to form a ring, and in order to hold the spring in the clamps or bands 0 and d the grooves or spaces 0 and (Z are provided in the form of construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with inwardlydirected projections cl.

In'Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of one of the clamps or bands d, and in this construction the said clamp or band is made of sheet metal bent centrally to form the handle 61 and jaws which inclose the tubes a, and the ends of these jaws are connected by a pin, bolt, or screw (Z and the spring 6 is passed between the pin, bolt, or screw 01 and the tube a and is held in the space thus formed, while the free end of said spring is free to pass between the ends of said jaws, as clearly shown in said figure, and all of the clamps or hands may be made in this way.

My invention is not limited to the means herein shown and described for holding the spring 6 in place, all that is necessary being to provide the tubes at with suitable means for holding said spring and so formed as to allow the spring to coil up, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and to be bent outwardly whenever desired, as shown in Fig. 2.

The spring a may be of any desired length and strength, and the other parts of the stethoscope may be made in the usual or anypreferred manner; but in practice I prefer to makethe curved tubes at much shorter than they have heretofore been made, and this enables longer flexible tubes a to be employed, and the construction of the device and the manipulation thereof is much simplified.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a binaural stethoscope, a pair of rigid curved tubes provided at one end with earpieces and a circular open spring secured at one end to one of said tubes and slidably attached to the other tube so as to permit of its free movement upon the same, said spring being provided at its free or movable end with a knob or shoulder to prevent its separation from the tube with which it is slidably con-.

'nected, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a binaural stethoscope, a pair of rigid curved tubes provided at one end with carpieces, and an open circular spring-ring fastened to one of said tubes and passed loosely through keepers connected with the other tube, said spring being provided at its free end with a knob or shoulder and said keepers with guides through which the free end of the spring is adapted to pass, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a binaural stethoscope, a pair of rigid curved tubes provided at one end with earpieces, and an open circular spring-ring fastened to one of said tubes and passed loosely through keepers connected with the other tube, said spring being provided at its free end with a knob or shoulder and said keepers with guides through which the free end of the spring is adapted to pass, said tubes being also provided at the ends thereof opposite the earpieces with flexible tubes and said fiexible tubes with a breast-piece, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of March, 1903.

WILLIAM l/Vitnesses:

CAIRNS PALMER, ARTHUR EMMERSON DAWSON.

JAMES PENFOLD. 

